YSU Women’s Basketball to Travel West for Non-Conference Tilt at USC on Dec. 13
8/10/2026 10:15:00 AM | Women's Basketball
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State head women's basketball coach Melissa Jackson announced on Monday that the Penguins have agreed to play at Big Ten-member Southern California on Sunday, Dec. 13, as part of the team's 2026-27 non-conference schedule.
"When constructing our non-conference schedule, it was important for me to challenge this group but also provide them with experiences that will last a lifetime," Jackson said. "Obviously, there is a lot of excitement for JuJu's return as well as the nationally ranked recruiting classes USC has brought in. What an incredible experience for our program to travel to LA and compete against one of the best in the country."
The Penguins are slated to face off with the Trojans for the first time in program history. YSU will take on an opponent from the Big Ten for the third consecutive campaign after playing at Michigan State in 2025-26 and at Ohio State in 2024-25. Youngstown State's contest at USC will mark the program's second game against a team located in California in the last 15 years. Most recently, the Penguins faced Sacramento State in a neutral-site game in Hawaii on Nov. 20, 2016. YSU's last game in the Golden State was a visit to Loyola Marymount on Nov. 25, 2011.
The Penguins will be looking to continue the momentum created by last year's memorable 2025-26 season which featured 25 victories and an appearance in the Postseason WNIT. YSU concluded last season with a 25-10 record, posting their highest win total since the 1997-98 campaign. Youngstown State reached the championship game of the Horizon League tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2001-02, and it went on to reach the Super 16 round of the Postseason WNIT.
USC finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-14 overall record, including a 9-9 ledger in Big Ten action. The Trojans earned an at-large bid as a No. 9 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, defeating No. 8 seed Clemson in the opening round before falling to No. 1 seed South Carolina.
Southern California enters the 2026-27 season as a consensus national title contender, having been ranked as high as No. 1 by USA Today and No. 6 by ESPN in early preseason polls. USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb welcomes back a roster loaded with star power, combining an accomplished returning core with the nation's premier recruiting class. Gottlieb, who served as an assistant coach at Richmond from 2002-05, coached YSU head coach Melissa Jackson during her time as a student-athlete with the Spiders from 2000-04.
USC's 2026-27 roster is highlighted by the return of JuJu Watkins, the 2024-25 consensus National Player of the Year and 2025-26 National Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson, who led the Trojans in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks last season. Junior Kennedy Smith returns after earning All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors, and USC added the nation's No. 1 recruit in Northeast Ohio native Saniyah Hall.
Tipoff time for YSU's contest at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif., will be announced at a later date. Youngstown State's complete non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season will be announced in the coming weeks.
For the latest news and updates on the YSU women's basketball program, follow @YSUWomensHoops on X and Instagram.
